Cradled Birch Painting Panel

An old favorite paint brush sits ready to gesso a birch panel.

I began a new journey with an old friend tonight by pulling out a favorite paint brush to get started working on my first cradled birch panel. I've painted on birch in the past and really enjoyed the surface, but the cradled panels sturdiness is an exciting new experience! The brush I used is from Baker's Secret and was actually intended for basting food, but I discovered that it held other secrets! I've been using it since it was new for water media so much that the handle has developed patina over the years. The bristles are similar to hog bristle but offer a smoother toothy texture in base coats.

 I began with the panel right from the package. Without sanding I brushed a thin smooth coat of acrylic gesso over the top and sides of the panel, following the wood grain. As much as I want to do this painting it was a tough choice to cover that lovely even birch grain! There are so very many things that could be done with these boards, and I'm looking forward to using pyrography in a future project! The gesso sucked into the raw wood and dried quickly. The second layer that I applied was lain thicker and with random brush strokes to create texture. Once that dried I pulled out a jar of old white acrylic paint. Being towards the bottom of the jar the paint has thickened to a tacky paste that, when applied, brushes further texture out onto the surface. When that dried I was left with a wonderful mildly slick bright surface begging to be marked... I WAS left with it, but that quickly changed as color found its way onto my brush and painting has now begun in earnest!


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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Assemblage of Thoughts On Bricolage Art

Bricolage [bree-coal-ahj] is a visual arts term used to describe art that is created from an assemblage of everyday objects and/or items that happen to be at hand during the artists need for creative expression. Personally, bricolage and assemblage arts haven't turned me into a pack-rat though it may encourage the habit to hoard... I only save the good stuff. What makes stuff good or garbage? It's hard to say just what it is that attracts an artist to a particular object. I think that the heart of bricolage is that creative impulse though... the need to create or express overpowering the need to wait for more traditional art materials to become available. Rather than create a sketch with a shopping list the bricoleur must look, wait, and jump when the moment is right in order to get that perfect object or flash of inspiration.

 Assemblage art and bricolage are siblings but not quite twins. An assemblage artist often works with the same methods, techniques, and/or materials in each art work with a fairly good concept of how those items will come together before the project begins. This also creates a recognisable "style", often with layers of encaustic wax, thick paint, industrial or architectural elements, old keys and vintage toys as favorite materials of many assemblage artists today (and rightly so because they are cool). The art of a bricoleur however will be unlikely to resemble other pieces created by the same artist to any high degree because the same materials may not be available, and things have to be assembled with different methods for nearly every project. The bricoleur is saying, "I need to make something... now! What do I have?" Perhaps assemblage art stems from a desire to take unwanted objects to make them into something wanted and attractive, whereas bricolage stems from a simple desire to make; It doesn't necessarily care if it's attractive because it just "is" or the artist felt that it simply needed to happen.

"Restrictions" by Tree Pruitt



In my opinion pure bricolage allows a viewer to see the components as they are, but put together or used differently from the original purpose... like using masonry blocks and plywood as a bookcase. Assemblage art often, but not always, embeds or disguises objects by using them as parts of a whole. My own piece titled "Restrictions" is one of my favorite examples of bricolage expression, though the final results were closer to assemblage than bricolage. I'd found myself with an overwhelming emotional need to express creatively while low on art supplies. With just a couple of tubes of paint and some glue in hand I rummaged through the house until I found a thing to use as a base, a thing to use as the actual thing, and then stuff to go over the thing. Only then did I have an understanding of what thing I was going to make -- a confined human figure. I wrapped heavy duty fishing line around a (clean) bed pillow and metal pipe then placed a vintage foam wig form on top as a ready made skull. Upholstery fabric was then wrapped over that and drip painted to resemble a dirty old thing dug out of the ground because at that point I'd taken to the concept of archaeology's mummy bundles, which are often tied and bound in order to hold the body in place. The concept was perfect for my expression though it wasn't present at the start of the project where only the emotional need to express was there. The everyday-ness of the components is hidden inside something that looks totally different from the things that I started with, so that is why I'd consider Restrictions as not being pure bricolage.

"It's Only Natural", Tree Pruitt



A more purist example of bricolage within my own art work is the assemblage sculpture "It's Only Natural", which is composed of objects I found while walking around an old timber mill lot. Here there was no emotional drive to create, but the piece was inspired by what the objects seemed to naturally resemble... or imply. On the reverse side a metal clamp and two rusty bolts hold the parts together while also acting as representations of internal female reproductive organs, once the mind has entered the realm of sex; A special stone that naturally resembles a penis helps the mind wander that way. It could be a statement about sexism, about the timber industry, environmentalism, textures, or just the way things sometimes come together. A viewer can think whatever they like when looking at the piece, but the facts are that the materials are natural (even metal being an element) and unhidden.

Musician Frank Zappa said, “Art is making something from nothing and selling it.” An artist uses many tools, but to an assemblage artist or bricoleur anything can become a tool of the trade, and even the tools themselves can become the art. "Portrait of the Artist" (shown above, digital photograph by Tree Pruitt 2012), is a self portrait created from a combination of tools, materials, and even the art studio environment. In this tech based world of art the camera indeed has become the artists other eye with which to see and show things to the world, and so it is here reflected in an old mirror as the all-seeing-eye. For a portrait of an artist to be true it should show the "hand" of the artist within the work and indeed this image does. In the background there is a thin material that screens away the reality of the studio floor in separation from the "higher" plane of the art work. Are you buying that?? It's really just a picture of a plastic thing and a window screen on the floor, but I think it "sells" as an appropriate portrait of this artist.

Some relevant links...

• What is Bricolage? www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bricolage.htm
• Bricolage Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricolage
• About.com http://www.bricolageart.com/about.html
• Uncanny Artist Specialty Art Supplies Store http://www.uncannyartist.com
• Art of Bricolage, blog http://artofbricolage.blogspot.com/
• Briant Matheson, artist www.bricolageart.com/
• The Vintage Bricoleur http://thevintagebricoleur.blogspot.com/
• My original art at... http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/ArtistTree

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use.

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Purple Poppies Painting Method

Purple Poppies is an original small floral painting from acrylic paint and watercolor pencil. Loosely rendered purple poppy flowers and buds, in various states of open, rest in a sunny flowing landscape created by carefully controlled drips and thick wet brush strokes of paint. The composition was first sketched in with watercolor pencils. For this method I prefer using Faber-Castell's Albrecht Durer pencils because of the smooth flowing texture of the lead, which is a bit softer than other brands, and the rich pigments; In particular, a certain blue and an orange will stain a canvas and won't rinse totally away with water washes. I apply heavy wet strokes of acrylic paint, allowing the brush to dig slightly into the watercolor under-drawing. Then added drops of water will naturally follow a path through the thick paint to the watercolor, creating drips that cut through layers while coloring the exposed canvas surface underneath. When thinned acrylic paint dries it can often look chalky, but it's easy to remedy the lifeless surface with a coat of acrylic varnish (I use Liquitex brands) which brings out a glossy richness. It's an exciting, fast paced way to paint that always yields results with character.

"Purple Poppies", 5"x 7" canvas panel board.

This somewhat rare flower was historically used in hallucinogenic rituals by the "Minoan" civilization on Crete and represents the Greek God Morpheus, overseer of visions and dreams.




*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Upcycling Cardboard to Fine Art

Recently a fellow artist mentioned the subject of painting on corrugated cardboard, and how to avoid warping or buckling. I enjoy painting on atypical surfaces, and years ago I often painted on corrugated; I have a lot of trial and error experience with the material. First, let me state that art work with corrugated cardboard -- upcycling a refrigerator box to fine art, let's say -- is not archivally sound because the cardboard is going to have a high acid content. Cardboard isn't intended to last forever, but it can be made archivally stable. Good examples of how long art on paper, in general, can survive the years would be the known oil paintings on paper from the early 1700's! If you're going to be using oil paint on cardboard, make sure you keep the "fat" content low, and prime lightly with a bit of gesso if you like. The oil, or fat, in the paint is what would cause possible damage or decay in the future. Though oil won't cause the paper to buckle any use of gesso or other moist primer will. If you'll be working with any water based media then you'll have to be prepared for the cardboard to curl; paper warps with wet media... period.

It is possible to fight cardboard curl, buckle, or warp; plus make ordinary corrugated an archivally stable art material. Starting with a base coat of gesso will prepare the cardboard to better hold on to which ever type of paint you choose. Gesso will also slow acid from leeching through from the cardboard to alter your painting in the future, however gesso is brittle & can crack. A much better product to use as a base coat is clear acrylic gel medium. It's flexible, and it stops the acid in the paper from getting through at all; the acrylic polymers, in effect, create a seal. Liquitex makes an excellent heavy bodied gel medium that can be purchased at most craft & art supply stores, and because it's thick it doesn't warp as much as a base coat of gesso or paint. Oil paint won't adhere well to acrylic gel, so if you're using oil apply several layer of gesso after sealing with the gel medium.

Starting the center of the piece of cardboard, move a loaded brush of medium from top to bottom in a line; reloading as needed. Work swiftly. After applying an even line from top to bottom make another line on one side, then the other, of the first line. Allow the brush strokes blend, or feather, into the edge of the previous line to avoid building up texture that could show through your painting later. Work your way out to the edges, coating the piece evenly. Don't panic if it pulls up like a taco -- let it and don't push it down flat. When the first coat is dry, flip it over and coat the reverse in the same way. The taco curl should lay flat again as it dries because the tension on the surface of the material is even. After the back dries you'll probably want to do the front, then back, again before beginning your artwork. If it does warp while you're painting, keep the moisture level even by lightly misting the back with a spray bottle or re-coating.

If paint gets into the raw edges at any time then that paper corrugated on the inside can cause a warp. The solutions are to either avoid the edges altogether when painting or cover them with paper when base coating. With narrow strips of paper, and the gel medium, the cardboard can be perfectly sealed; acrylic gel medium has the added bonus of acting as an excellent glue! Just one fourth of an inch overlap one each side of the cardboard should be enough coverage. Be sure to "paint" the gel medium all over the strips, and if they slide, use less gel on the brush. Then coat them better after the first layer dries. The raised line of the paper strips will most likely be covered by a frame when the painting is finished. Keep the strips even and you'll have a nice clean edge.



Timber Land Steam Stack

 Unless exposed to very high humidity, or moisture, the piece of cardboard should now remain flat. Very large thin pieces may need some support that can be achieved with a frame and backing board. Covering the raw edges of the corrugated cardboard creates a seal that stops air or moisture from getting inside. Decay from acid oxidation is stopped, making a surface for art work that is archival, ready to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Shown at left is a painting assemblage where the same method was used, but with a full sized sheet of paper covered foamboard. As can be seen by the drips and running of the paint, I worked this very wet. This piece, a scene from the Pacific Northwest in my private collection, is several years old now and remains flat in the frame despite not having rear backing support. Titled "Timber Land Steam Stack", the curling form of a steam cloud is created from a recycled bent wood coat rack with cut out silhouettes of plastic coffee can lid ravens that free float from monofilament. Some of the ravens are adhered to the painting with acrylic gel medium. The bits of wood are wired to the foamboard, and so do provide a bit of rigid support. Coating and sealing the edges, however, is what prevents the foamboard from warping.

Explore and have fun! -- Tree

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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Nature Goddess Next Stage of Sculpture

We've reached a new stage of development, this sculpture and myself. This is something that is growing, emerging from within and expressing itself outward; like the seed of a living plant. As yet unpainted like the largest conch, I have added a colony of the woody tree fungus. Formed in paper clay, the shapes cascade, as of yet unpainted, down the trunk form. I've always enjoyed the grace offered by such forms within living nature, having spent hours visually honoring the growths.

The task was simple enough, but required time and patience. The paper clay adheres well to itself but I took some precautionary measures. I first moistened the general area where a new growth-like shape would sit. I used drops of water from my fingertip so as to avoid saturation. Then, pinching off a bit of clay with moistened fingers, I gave the piece a general fan like shape. It was then pushed onto the main body, then slid up and down until I felt a grab. Using fingers and tools the new conchs edges were smoothed into a firm placement. At this point I moved on to another piece to allow for some drying time. After adding a second fungus shape I moved back to the first to pinch and push it into a more realistic form. The slight drying time allows the piece to achieve folds, cracks and surface wrinkles that such tree fungus actually has in life. They have dried well enough, having set in the hot sunlight, and I'll likely add a base coat of paint soon to bring the new portions into tone with the larger conch shape.
I'm not trying to imitate Nature, but to represent Her with my own artistic voice. I look forward to sharing what next develops with this piece, and enjoy helping this Goddess image emerge!




*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

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